MANILA, Philippines – How did Benigno Aquino III spend his last Lenten holidays as president?
In a statement, he said he went to two wakes and will attend a birthday on Easter Sunday. He stayed in Manila “to monitor everything” and continues to monitor developments in Libya, he added.
Libya has witnessed the expansion of the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq (ISIS) group which has recruited to its fold jihadists who were offered both protection and benefits. A jihadist training camp was the recent target of US air strike that killed a senior ISIS operative.
The President also said he “spent quality time” with his family, and watched an old film on the life of Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador.
The 4th archbishop of San Salvador, Romero was beatified in May 2015. The archbishop, who spoke out against poverty and injustice, was shot dead by a sniper while saying Mass in a cancer hospital chapel in March 1980.
The film reminded Aquino “of the Church and its pro-active preference for the poor.”
In his Lenten message released on March 23, Aquino called on Filipinos to be on the side of justice and urged them to strengthen their love for others. He also said this was the driving principle behind the “Daang Matuwid” (Straight Path) campaign of his administration.
In April 2015, Aquino said he would pray for his intense haters and seek some quiet time during the Holy Week. In January last year, the biggest crisis to hit his administration happened: the Mamasapano massacre that left elite cops and civilians dead.– Rappler.com